Wonders of the World
The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is a widely-known list of seven great buildings or structures from the classical time period.
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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World [change]
This is a list put together in the 2nd century BC by Antipater of Sidon and Philon of Byzantium. This explains why it only lists monuments of the Mediterranean world. There are other slightly different version: this is the most usual one.
- Great Pyramid of Giza (Egyptians). The oldest of the wonders, and the only one still standing.
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylonians). Built by Queen Semmu-ramat (= Semi-ramis) or King Nebuchadnazzer II. The exact location of this monument is not known. It was in Mesopotamia.
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greeks). A gigantic statue made of crystal (presumably quartz), with applied gold leaf.
- Temple of Artemis (Greeks). In Ephesus, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), on the Aegean Sea. It was burnt down by Herostratus in 350 BC. When questioned, he is said to have replied: "To make my name immortal". First known crime committed for fame.
- Mausoleum of Maussollos (Persians). Tomb of the Anatolian king of that name, built by his widow Artemisia, at Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey).
- Colossus of Rhodes (Greeks). Built to commemorate the raising of the siege of Rhodes 304–5 BC. At 30 metres, the tallest statue in the ancient world.
- Lighthouse of Alexandria (Greeks). Called the Pharos, this was built for Ptolemy II, about 280 BC. To this day, 'Pharos' is the name for lighthouse in several European languages.
Out of those structures only the Great Pyramid still exists in the 21st century. Most of the wonders were built by the Greeks. Earlier versions listed the Walls of Babylon and the Palace of Cyrus the Great.
Seven Wonders of the Modern World [change]
The Seven Wonders of the Modern World were decided by the American Society of Civil Engineers. However, some other variations of the list exist (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_world for more).
They are:
- Channel Tunnel (England & France)
- CN Tower (Toronto, Canada)
- Empire State Building (New York, United States)
- Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, United States)
- Itaipu Dam (Brazil/Paraguay)
- North Sea Protection Works (Netherlands)
- Panama Canal (Panama)
Seven Natural Wonders of the World [change]
Like with the other lists of wonders, there is no single list of seven natural wonders of the world, as there have been arguments over how large the list should be. One of the many lists was compiled by CNN.
- Grand Canyon
- Great Barrier Reef
- Harbour of Rio de Janeiro
- Mount Everest
- Aurora
- Parícutin volcano
- Victoria Falls
Other websites [change]
